The terrestrial ecosystem on land encompasses various types, such as forest, grassland, tundra, and desert ecosystems.

A forest ecosystem thrives with diverse plants, particularly trees, which serve as primary producers. This rich plant life supports a wide range of animal species. Forests also provide valuable resources, such as fruits and wood, while contributing to regulating the Earth’s temperature.

Grassland ecosystems are typically found in tropical or temperate regions and are characterized by the dominance of grasses. Grazing animals, including cattle, goats, and deer, are commonly found in these ecosystems, taking advantage of the abundant grasses as a food source.

Tundra ecosystems are defined by their treeless and snow-covered landscapes. Brief periods of snow melting during spring and summer create shallow ponds, allowing for the growth of lichens and flowering plants. Due to the ice-covered nature of the tundra, this ecosystem plays a crucial role in regulating the Earth’s temperature.

Desert ecosystems exist within arid and windy desert habitats, varying between dunes and rocky landscapes. While not as diverse as forest ecosystems, desert organisms possess unique adaptations that suit their environment. Common desert plants include CAM plants like cacti, while desert animals consist of insects, reptiles, and birds.

Freshwater ecosystems are aquatic ecosystems that do not contain salt water. They provide a habitat for organisms such as algae, plankton, insects, amphibians, and fish. There are two primary types of freshwater ecosystems: lentic and lotic ecosystems.

A lentic ecosystem refers to ecosystems found in still or standing waters. Examples include ponds, puddles, and lakes. Lakes, in particular, often exhibit zonation, where distinct zones are formed. These zones include the littoral, limnetic, and profundal zones.

The littoral zone is located near the shore and allows light to penetrate to the bottom. The limnetic zone, on the other hand, is deeper and receives less light. Within the limnetic zone, the photic zone is where light can penetrate, while the benthic zone is dark and lacks light penetration.

The distribution of plants and animals varies across these zones. For instance, rooted plants are commonly found in the littoral zone but not in the limnetic zone, where freely-floating plants are more prevalent on the water’s surface.

A deciduous forest is characterized by trees that undergo a seasonal process of shedding their leaves and regrowing them during the new growing season. This leaf-shedding adaptation responds to the cold seasons in temperate regions or the dry seasons in subtropical and tropical regions.

In mid-latitude regions, the dominant trees in deciduous forests include oaks, beeches, birches, chestnuts, aspens, elms, maples, and basswood. In the Southern Hemisphere, the dominant tree genus is Nothofagus, also known as Southern beeches. Various animals can be commonly found in deciduous forests, including snakes, frogs, salamanders, turtles, snails, slugs, insects, spiders, birds (such as warblers, owls, woodpeckers, hawks, and others), as well as mammals (such as mice, moles, chipmunks, rabbits, weasels, foxes, and deer).